Tool



TOOL

klm -Uf-1 mvENToR John WSlay'on JI:

gal/JMW# ATTORNEY Patented Apr., 25, 1950 UNITED .STATES FAT ENT FFI CE.

A'IJ-DOL John SlaytomJ r., Pittsburg-@Pa` Application August 24, 1946, SerialNo. 692,836

2 Claims. (Cl. 306`-35) This `'invention relates-to tools of the class havinge working head anda handlef for manipulating ithe head such -as hammers, axes, hatchets, etc. In this `applicationil have illustrated my invention `as applying toa hammer, however it is equally Vapplicable toother toolsof this class.

Heretofore many expedients have been attempted to` secure Aa headA of a hammer to a handle. In one of the most frequenty used methods the eye of a hammer head is tapered slightly towards theinner `face of the vhead and a, handle having an end tapered oppositely to the taper of the eye is inserted in the eye of the head. The end of the handle is then expanded by a wedge or screw. This method has never been entirely satisfactory. The head becomes loose as the wood shrinks during use and it is necessary 4to insert a larger wedge or `screw which frequently `spl-its the-handle; Likewise there is a tendency for the Wedge or :screw `to fall out. It has also been proposed to impregnato the wood so as to embrittle it and `thus prevent shrinkage' of 'the 'woodduring use.` However; if a wedge is driven into the end of a handle which has been so treated the brittle portion of the handle splits and this split is carried along a Substantial ilength of the handle. My invention provides means for fastening a head to a handle in a secure manner and avoids the foregoing difficulties among others. At the same time the head and handle may be readily disengaged whenever desired.

In the drawings accompanying this specification I have illustrated a present preferred embodiment of my invention in which:

Figure l is a plan view of a hammer with certain portions removed for purposes of illustration; and

Figure 2 is a front elevation View with certain portions thereof in section; and

Figure 2A is an isometric, view of a cap which may be secured to a hammer head; and

Figure 3 is a plan view of the inner face of a hammer head with the handle shown in cross section; and

Figure 4 is a front elevation View with portions thereof in section of a modifi-cation of my invention.

A tool constructed in accordance with my invention comprises a hammer head 5 of conventional design having an eye 6 which is inwardly tapered and extends to the point 6' as shown in Figures 2 and 4 of the drawings. A handle i is inserted into the eye 6 and secured there by means hereinafter described.

The outer end 8 of the handle 'I is outwardly aredas shownrin Figures aand 4 to cooper-ate with the inwardly extending taper of the eye '5.`

Theslateral dimens'i'onsvof the end f8 -are so proportioned with respect to the smallest correspond-` ing lateral dimensions of 'the eye 6 that the handle 'I `maybezsinserted into lthe eye through the lower-face of `the head 5. Thus the largest.

lateraldimensions 4lof 'the rend `8 :may bepsli'ghtl-y the endx as :shown in Figure 2.` By using the notchrthe end fvm'ay be fmaneuvered intothe eye through the lower facefof fthe hea'd so long as` thefdistancerrrom "the deepest point of the `notch `to `the :corner fforrned iby the side opposite the :notch andthe top` of the :handle is less'than the distance across theinner end of the eye. The

width 4of the portion :of `the .handle immediately below the: notch should also heless than the "disitanceacrossthe inner end of the eye.

After the:handleisrinserted in the eye, filler members 9 and IEI are inserted into the eyell andfaroundothe handle' end to hold `the end tightly in the eye. As shown particularly in Fgures 1 and 3 of the drawings the ller members Q and I 0 are U-shaped in section and are of sufricient size to extend substantially around the periphery of the end 8 and thus form a sleeve which holds the handle in the eye.

lThe outer face of the head 5 is recessed to hold a rectangular plate or cap I I which extends across the outer end of the handle and is secured to the head 5 by screws I2 which pass through the ends of the plate. The cap is preferably made of resilient metal and as shown in Figure 2A is curved before being attached to the head. When the screws I2 are tightened, the cap exerts an inward pressure on the handle end 3 and holds it against the sleeve members 9 and i. If the handle end 8 shrinks in cross section the cap will force it further inward and thus a secure connection between the head and the handle will be maintained.

Various means may be employed to prevent the sleeve formed by the iiller members 9 and I5 from sliding inwardly along the handle 1. In Figure 2 portions of the inner face of the head 5 which extend beyond the eye E are bent over at the point 6 to form anges I3 and I4 which extend transversely across the head below the eye and press against the inner ends of the filler members 9 and I I. In Figure 3 an alternative method for holding the sleeve formed by the ller members is shown. The corners formed by the inner face of the hammer below the eye 6 are swedged over to form triangular-shaped flanges l5 which press against the inner ends of the nller members 9 and I9. In another inodication, the outer ends of the filler members may be bent over to form laterally extending anges I6 and l? as shown in Figure 4 of the drawings. The head 5 is recessed to seat these flanges beneath the plate or cap li and the plate and flanges are held in place by the screws I2.

The head and handle are assembled as follows: first, the outwardly flared end 8 of the handle 'l is inserted into and through the eye of the head 5 through the inner face of the head. Thereafter the filler members 9 and i9 are placed in the eye around the end of the handle. The handle is then pulled back and wedged in the eye in its correct position. The dimensions of the eye the end 8, and the filler members 9 and i9 are such that a very tight t results. Thereafter the plate Il is seated in the recess of the head and secured thereto by the screws It will be seen that Va tool constructed in accordance with my invention avoids the need for wedges, screws, or the like to expand a handle within the eye of the tool head to secure the head to the handle. The filler members provide a sleeve which substantially surrounds the end portion of the handle within the eye and which due to the outwardly flared shape of the handle end prevents the head from flying off the handle. The plate Il prevents the head from sliding inwardly along the handle. Since no wedges are driven into the end of the handle, the handle may be impregnated or otherwise treated to improve the quality and permanence of the material from which the handle is formed. Shrinkage of the handle end is thereby reduced. While a secure fastening of the head to the handle is thus obtained, nevetherless the head may be readily removed from the handle should it ever be necessary to do so.

While I have described a present preferred em- 4 bodiment of my invention it is to be understood that it may be otherwise embodied within the scope of the following claims.

I claim:

1. A tool of the class described comprising a head having an eye, a handle having an end tting within the eye, the end having at least one outwardly sloping face, a notch in a face of the handle end to facilitate inserting the handle in the eye, the distance from the innermost point of the notch to the point on the face of the end opposite from the notch which is farthest from the notch being less than the smallest distance across the eye, the width of the handle immediately below the notch also being less than the smallest distance across the eye, and means for restraining longitudinal movement of `the filler member. I

2. A tool of the class described comprising a head having an outwardly tapering eye, a handle having an end to t within the eye, at least one face of the handle end sloping outwardly, a filler member between the handle end and the eye for preventing retraction of the handle and a bowed resilient plate secured to the head and pressing upon the end of the handle to prevent protrusion thereof beyond the eye.

JOHN W. SLAYTON, JR.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 978,510 Taylor Dec. 13, 1910 1,339,638 Velchansky May 11, 1920 1,508,874 Christensen Sept. 16, 1924 1,914,802 Cochrane June 20, 1933 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 204,422 Great Britain Oct. 4, 1923 

